Process of purifying gas.



- No.'689,246. Patented Deo. I7,y |90I.

` E. walsen. PROCESS 0F PURIFYING GS.'

I(Applizmfzion led Jan.' 21, 1899.) (nu Model.) 3 sheets-sheet l.'

592 @WOW Patented Dec. I7., I90I.

K No. 689,246.

E. THElsEM. PROCESS 0F PURIFYING GAS.

(Applimzzionv Bled Jan. 21, 1599.) (No Model.)

.3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

N. n. c.' 1m: Noam xmas co. pHoro-umu.. wAsnIum'o No. 689,246. Patented nec. I7, |901." j

E. THElsEN. PROCESS 0F PUBIFYING GAS. (Application led Jan. 21, 1899.) ,um Model.) ashun-sheet 3.-

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PATENT EDWARD THEISEN, or BADEN BADEN, GERMANY.

PROCESSy oF PURIFYING GAS.

SEEQIFICATIN forming part of Letters Patent No. 689,246, dated December 1'7, 1901.

Application tied January 21, 1399.

To all wiz/m it may concern: A

Be it known that I,EDWARD THEISEN, me-l chanical engineer', residing at Badenl Baden, in the Grand Duchy of Baden, Germany, have sinvented new and useful Improvements in the Purification of Gases and Separation of By-Products, of which the following is a speciication. Y

Various methods have been proposed for ob- Io taining an -energetic reciprocal action be' tween gases and liquids brought in contact by centrifugal action. In many cases the ac tion of the gases merely upon the surface of the liquid is not sucien-t, even when such z5 surface is increased byimpartinga corrugated form thereto.

The present invention has for its object to produce a more energetic reciprocal action between gases and liquids; and it relates more 2o particularly to the treatment of Waste gases from coke-ovens and the like for the purpose of effecting the rapid purification and cooling thereof, as also for obtaining strong ammonia and benzene, which operations require a much more intense reaction between the gas and Water than was possible with appa-l ratus heretofore proposed-at any rate if it be desired to carry out the process with moderatesized apparatus. The absorbing and cooling 3o property of the washing liquid when operating during a very short time isincreased according to the present invention by producing at the first contact ofthe hot gases and the liquid a strong evaporation accompaniedjf 3 5 necessary, with pulverization of the washing liquid. In thus producing a very intimate mixture of the waste gases to be treated with the steam produced the action is greatly in'- creased by, to a certain extent, a minute di- 4o vision of the bodies, and by this means the absorption of the ammonia is considerably accelerated and the cooling is greatly facilitated. The process therefore has to be so conducted in the iirst division of a centrifugal apparatus that an energetic evaporation and intermixture of the produced steam with the waste gases can take place-that is to say,

as little washing liquid must be supplied as possible. It will be advisable to heat this in 5o the first instance by suitable means either externally to or within the centrifugal apparatus, and arrangements must be provided Serial No. 702,947. (No specimens.)

.by the previously-generated steam is condensed, together with the constituents absorbed thereby. This condensation can also beV effected by simple surface action, producing an effectual separation of the watery particles. By such a treatment of the coke- Oven gases Washing liquors are obtained .which are to a considerable extent enriched with ammonia, but not so perfectly as is desirable both forits advantageous subsequent .utilization and for purifying the gases to the greatest extent. For this purpose the said washing liquid is subjected to a second treatment by centrifugal action, together with the gases, in such manner that the gases aremade to penetrate through the liquid over extended surfaces, the arrangement being such that the weaker liquid is brought in contact in the outer compartments of a centrifugal apparatus with the most purified gases and4 in then traveling in the direction toward the axis of the apparatus become more and more enriched by contact with the more impure gases. In particular the arrangement is such that several concentric stationary compartments are provided, consisting of siphon-like cells, and that in the spaces between the compartments centrifugal blades are made to revolve, which exercise on the inner side a sucking action and on the outer side a forcing action on the gases. In this Way it is possible not only to forcethe gases through all the cells of all the compartments from the interior to the exterior, but also at the same time to produce a continuous flow of the liquid from the outer compartments t0 the inner ones on account ot the increasingpressure toward the outside producing a difference of liquid-.level in the inner and outer cells. By this means the requisite reversed direction of the gas and liquid is obtained.

On the accompanying drawings are shown,

IOO

trifugal motion to said gases.

by way of example,'two apparatus by means of which the two stages of the process can be carried out.

Figure l shows a vertical section of the initial apparatus. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a vertical section, and Fig. 4 a sectional plan, of the seconddescribed apparatus.

In Fig. 1, A is the shaft of the centrifugal apparatus, on the upper end of which is mounted a conical head B,with vanes h,which, owing to their conical form, draw the gases downward from the pipe O and impart cen- To the head B is ixed the cylindrical part D, which carries blades l and the plate E. On this plate are the centrifugal devices F' F2 F3, composed of oblique blades e (see Fig. 2) and radial pieces f, forming aclosed ring. These rings revolve in chambers formed by xed walls G G2 G3 G4, depending from a plate H. Beneath these walls and the plate E is abottom plate K, on which are formed annular channels by means of the partitions 7c' k2 71:3. luto these annular channels project the discharge-nozzles g g2 g3, fixed to the rot-ary plate E and serving to discharge the liquid flowing off the walls G G2 G3 into `the channels of plate K. The gas drawn in by the blades b and propelled thereby with centrifugal action is subjected to furthencentrifugal action by the blades d and passes outwardly in a zigzag direction through the several chambers ofthe apparatus, as indicated by the arrows at the left of Fig. l. The centrifugal devices F F2 F3 operate herein with a twofold action. They not only propel the gases outward in the known manner, so as to produce an energetic reciprocal action between them and the liquid on the walls G G2 G3, as hereinafter set forth, but it has also been found that owing to the peculiar combination of oblique and radial parts e andfon pressure in the inward direction is produced, though not so high a pressure as theoutwardlydirected one, provided that the radial parts project near enough to the liquid. By imparting a suitable inclination to these parts e andf the up-and-downmotion of the gas can be increased. It will be seen that by this twofold action of the centrifugal devices a very 'powerful action can be produced in a very small space.

The several walls G G2 G3 consist each of a thin main body L, into the hollow space of which the liquid flows through the nozzles m m3 m3 m4. The hollow space thus formed is provided with openings l, so that the liquid can issue on both sides. The surfaces onto which it flows are suit-ably formed for producing the greatest possible surface distribution of a thin layer of liquid over very eX- tended surfaces, and for this purpose they may be,`for example, provided with narrow transverse ribs, or preferably they are covered with wire-gauze M. The supply of liquid is so regulated that as little as possible the walls an increased gas-Y is made to ow through-the nozzle m', and this should be as hot as possible. In some cases the wall G' may be provided with a heating-coil on its inner side. The liquid, which is generally water, evaporates rapidly, and thereby cools the gas, the steam formed becoming intimately mixed therewith. Any water that may flow off, which will contain ammonia if coke-oven gases are being treated, passes through the tube g" in the innermost annular channel onto the, plate K. Through the tubes m3 m3 larger quantities of water are introduced. The gases will have become considerably cooled by the above-described means, so that on the surfaces of the walls G2 G3 a complete condensation of the aqueons vapors will be effected, together with a considerable quantity of the absorbed ammonia. The liquor thus produced will run into the two outer annular channels. The outer surface G4 is either not supplied at all with water, orif it is so supplied (by tube m4) itis advisable to cover the surface of the water with a fine sieve in such manner that the particles of liquid still contained in the gases are thrown olf by centrifugal action behind the sieve, but that the liquid is not materially disturbed by a directimpact of the gases thereon. This last chamber can therefore be considered as a drying-chamber. From it the gases escape into the discharge-channel N, which leads them to the second centrifugal apparatus.

The second, centrifugal apparatus (see Figs. 3 and 4) consists of three concentrically-arranged stationary cellular cylindrical bodies Z Z2 Z3, carried by the base-plate z and capable of being raised and lowered, together with the same,by means of suspension cords or chains z3, of which there are several passing over guide-rollers 24, the wheels z' z2 serving to guide the movable parts in their upand-down movement. The rotating parts of the centrifugal apparatus are carried by the shaft A' and consist of the centrifugal devices Y Y2 Y3, which depend from the plate y. These centrifugal devices travel between the cellular `bodies Zr Z2 Z3 within a casing formed by the base-plate z, the cylindrical part or casin g and the cover-plate which are stationary. The latter does not move up and down with the former, and when the ap-v paratus is at work a water seal is made with the cylinder a", at @c3 within the annular trough m3. Into the cellular bodies the cooled ammonia liquor coming from the rst apparatus is charged and is made to iow in the contrary direction to the gases which enter centrally through the pipe C', the liquor being made to pass from the outer body Z3 through the middle one Z2 to the inner one Z. The gases pass off through the pipe N'.

The several centrifugal devices Y' Y2 Y3 consist of annular bodies, which may have fan-blades t arranged at intervals andconnected together at top and bottom by the rings T. These bodies can, however, be of any IIO desired form which will act both as centrifugal blades with considerable pressure upon the gas and will allow the gases free passage in a radial direction. The blades can therefore also consist, for example, of sheet-metal cylinders, the surfaces of which are so bent as to form radial ribs or blades, while the parts between these are formed with sievelike perforations. These perforated parts can be placed obliquely, so as to have a centrifugal action on the gases. In any case the action of the rotation will be such that a strong suction is produced on the inner side of the centrifugal devices, while a pressure is produced on the outer side. This. effect is utilized for forcing the gases entering at C' through the Washing and absorbing liquor in the cellular bodies.

The cells consist of a series of siphon-like compartments arranged in stages one above the other, being formed in the simplest arrangement by means of annular horizontal plates s, on which are mounted partitions s', while other partitions s2 depend between these from the plate s above. The several stages of these compartments are also provided with guiding-plates t', which approach near to the centrifugal devices and serve to direct the gas-currents into the first cell. 0n account of the above-described conditions of pressure and in consequence of the combined suction and pressing actions the washing liquor will assume such positions in the several cells that the column of liquor situated in the space on the outer side of the partition s2 will be higher than the liquor on theinner side thereof, which will, however, cover the lower edge of the partition s2, so that the gas is forced by the pressure to pass through the vliquor in order to travel consecutively through the several compartments. By this means the ammonia of the gas willv be completely taken up by the liquor. Upon the number of stages employed and the narrownessof the several cells Will evidently depend the number of times the gas is made to pass into and out of the separate bodies of the liquor, and consequently the extent of liquid surfaces with which the gas is broughtinto contact. In the arrangement shown the action of the outer centrifugal device Y3 will be considerably stronger than that of the inner one Y?, and the action of Y2 will be stronger than that of Y. The result of this will be that the difference of level of the washingliquorin the two parts of a cell will be greater in the outer compartment than in the inner compartment-that is, the column of liquid will be higher in the former than in the latter. This causes the iiow of the washing liquor to take place in the inward direction from the outer cells-that is to say, in the contrary direction to that of the ilow of the gas-whereby the perfect absorption of the absorbable constituents of the gas is greatly facilitated. This can be edected by la simple tubular communication between the cells, as shown on the left-hand side of Fig. 3. From the outer cell p3 a discharge-pipe g3 passes'to the cell p2 of the next inner cellular body, and from this a pipe q2 passes'to the cellp' of the innermost body. These tubular connections are repeated for each of the several stages. As the volume of the stages increases toward the outer part, it will be evident that several inner stages can be supplied from one outer one, or vthe liquor can be made to overflow the upper inner stage to the-next one below. It is consequently only requisite to supply the outermost cellular bodies with the washing liquor and to lead the liquor away from the innermost one if it be not desired to obtain several liquors of dierent strength. A pipe u is provided for supply-ingliquid, which, by means of branches u u2 n3, supplies the outer cells with the washing liquor. 'u' U2 o3 are the discharge-pipes for the liquor.

It will be seen from the above description that the invention can be applied in variouslymodied ways, according to the nature of the gases treated and the by-products to be obtained therefrom. It is particularly to be observed that the production of vapor andthe condensation thereof not only operatesl energetically with a cooling and absorbing action, but also effects the separation of dust. Instead of water otherV absorbent liquids can be used. Thus with coke-oven gases it may be aquestion of absorbing the benzene, while when treatin gilluminating-gases the benzene should be retained in the latter. On account of its combined suction and purifying action the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 may, for example, also be used for treating the waste gases from steam-boiler furnaces for the purpose of simultaneously producing a good draft and for separating and absorbing carbonaceous and other constituents fromthe gases. When coke-oven gases are treated, the washing liquors passing off from the iirst compartment will also contain tarry constituents, which are Iirst vseparated by the centrifugal process, as described, after which the washing liquor employed is passed through the second-described apparatus.

Now what I claim, and desire to Letters Patent, is the following:

1. The herein-described process of purifying gases and obtaining absorption liquors and the like, consisting in the causingof liquid to flow over a series of stationary surfaces, introducing gases into theapparatus and producing an energetic reciprocal action between the gas and the liquid by means of centrifugal action so as to bring the gas repeatedly secure by y into contact with successive fresh layers of liquid, wherebya considerable lva-porization of the liquid will be effected and the intimate mixture of such vapor with the gas, subjecting the said mixture of gas and vapor to a condensing process and effecting a further absorption by causing the gas to travel outward from a center and bringing the condensed liquid heretofore mentioned toward the said IOO than that of the inner portion whereby the liquid will be given a tendency to and will eX- 15 ecute an inward ow in a direction opposite to that of the gases,substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of zo' two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD THEISEN.

Witnesses: p

MAX ADLER, MAX J. BAEHR. 

